Three-way valve



Die. 7 1926.

F. M. ROBY THREE-WAY VALVE Filed Jan. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l I fflyenzfor' 731 1413 W/MJJQ Wrfi AUG/17ers Dec. 7 1926. 1,609,964

F. M. ROBY THREE-WAY vALyE Filed Jan. 19, 1925 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 n 'UCVLTOi PatentedDec. 7, 1926. 'I I I UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. ROBY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

THREE-WAY VALVE.

Application filed January 19, 1925. Serial No. 3,300.

This invention relates to valve construeflow of liquid admitted at one of the tion, and is particularly concerned with the branches may be selectively directed to arrangement of an operating handle for a either of the other two. The plug is provalve such for instance as is shown, devided with an operating stemwhich extends 60 scribed and claimed in the patent to J. T. through the usual packing gland and nut Talma-ge, No. 952,691, patented March 22 connection and which is surrounded by a 1910. tubular projection extending from the valve A bj t f invention is to provide casing or body. This projection is prefera valve in which the movable member or ably so formed at its base that it provides 65 plug is sealed against leakage at its stem, a bearing for an operating handle which and wherein the manipulation of this stem may beheld in place by a clamping nut may be effected to operate the valve withthreaded on said projection.

out in any way disturbing the seal. Referring to the various parts of my in- In carrying out my invention in connecvention by reference characters, 1 indicates 7 tion with a valve having the usual hollow the valve body, 2, 3, and 4 the branches, and

plug and an operating stem integrally 5 the operating plug. The branches are formed therewith, a portion of which stem formed preferably of threaded extensions 6 is surrounded by the usual packing gland having their outermost faces 7 chamferedand nut connection,-I provide a handle for complen'ientary to flanged nipples or sleeves 7 turning the stem which is formed with a 8. Each of the sleeves is provided with a two-point hearing so that'it may be rigidly barrel 9 which may be sweated to the ends secured to the stem at one bearing and movof feed or delivery pipes or secured thereto ably secured to the body of the valve at the in any suitable manner, the flanges being other. By this means I am'enabled to build held against the .chamfered faces of the ex- 80 a valve which will withstandside strains on tensions 6 by locking nuts 10. These I the operating handle, the portion of the prefer to provide with separated segmental handle which engages the valve body efprojections 11, adapted to be operated by fectively preventing undesirable bending of the usual spanner wrench. The valve plug the stem which would otherwise result in is preferably provided with circular opena tendency to wear the bearing of the plug ings 15, 16 and 17 which are shown in Figs.

within the body. 2 and 4 in such position that a connection Another object is to provide stops within between the branches 2 and 4 is established, the valve casing for limiting the movement while a closed portion 18 of the valve plug of the valve plug, Further objects include closes the branch 3. 90

the provision of a valve construction adapt- Lugs 20 projecting inwardly from the cars ed 'to be easily manufactured, easily and ing preferably occupy arcuate slots 22 in one quickly assembled and in which the movable of the fiat walls of the plug to limit the parts are subjected to the least amount of movement thereof With reference to Fig. 4 wear or strain.

v v -it wi11 be seen that a counter clockwise 4 Certain other features of my invention movement of an arm or handle designated will be set forth in the following description 23, from the position shown will establish pertaining to the accompanying drawings communication between the branches 3 and and the essentialcharacteristicswill be sum- 4, while the branch 2 will be closed. The marized in the claims, f arrangement of placing the limit stops in- 45 In the drawi'ngs,,Fig. 1 is" a side view of side of the valve housing facilitates casting my valve broken away to show the position and protects the lugs from the likelihood of of one of the limit stops; Fig. 2'is a plan damage when in use. -I prefer as far as posview thereof; Fig. 3 is a substantially censible, consistent with the efiicient operation tral cross section indicated by the line 3-3 of the valve, to eliminate frictional resist- 50 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section as indiance to the turning of the plug by removing cated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 1. metal at 25 and26 from the casing and plug I have shown the preferredform'of my inrespectively which not only lightens the convention as adapted to a three-way valve struction of thevalve without materially dewherein there are three branches and in creasing its strength but also allows a genwhich a hollow circular plug closes at least erous fillet 27 to be retained at the base of one of the branches at all times, whereby the the stem designated 28. The end of the plug opposite the stem may be closed or provided with an opening threaded to receive a temporary insert (not shown) for facilitating thev machining of the valve plug, and the valve casing may be effectively closed with a cap 32 threaded at 33- and lightly bearing against the plug at 34, the overhanging annular surface 35 forming a stop for preventing the cap from clamping the plug.

A threaded hollow extension on the valve casing carries a nut 41 which lockingly seats at 42 against the top of a cylindrically formed portion 45. Rotatably supported by the cylindrical portion 45 and bearing against a tlat annular face on the casing I provide a ring 46 which forms part of the operating handle, The nut 41 provides an outer bearing face for the ring and the ring is connected to the arm of the handle and to an enlarged portion 50, which embraces angularly formed faces 49 on the stem 28, by suitably reinforced webs 47 and 48. A suitable packing gland 53 and nut 54 em brace the stem 28 in the usual manner and are positioned between the connected portions 46 and 50.

To assemble the valve the plug is first inserted into the open end 01": the casing with the stem projecting through the packing cavity. Suitable packing is then placed in the cavity as .shown. The handle, lock nut 41 and packing gland 53 and nut 54 are then placed over the stem and the two nuts then screwed into place. The lock nut securely holds the handle in free turning position and the other effects a tight and adjustable seal against leakage.

It will be seen that by this arrangement I have provided a valve construction wherein the packing lends itsell to easy adjustment without necessitating the removal of the iandle, and at the same time there is little or no likelihood of the valve plug resisting rotation due to swelling or other distortion of the packing. Moreover, I have provided a simple means for securely locking the handle to the valve plug, which is so arranged upon the packing shell that it will not interfere with the adjustment of the packing. It is to be noted that by reason of using about the amount of packing shown, the distance between the two nuts is less than the length of the ring 46; therefore, should the locking nut 41 become loosened, when the valve is in use, there is no likelihood of the handle coming entirely off since the outer end surface of this nut would merely lock against the packing nut and nothing more serious would result than an immaterial longitudinal play of the pivot-end of the handle between the casing and the locking nut.

By reason of the length of the cylindrical portion 45 of the extension 40 being slightlv greater than the attaching ring .46 there is never a tendency to bind the handle against rotation. Moreover any likelihood of bending or disaligning the valve stem 28 and thus decreasing the efliciency of the packing is prevented by the overhanging flange formed by the nut 41 bearing snugly upon an attaching portion 46 of the handle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a valve the combination of a casing, having inlet and outlet openings, a'plug within the casing adapted to open or close one of said openings, a valve stem projecting through the casing, an extension rising from the casing and surrounding the stem, a handle having a yoke, one arm of which embraces the extension and is movable relatively thereto and the other arm of which operatively embraces the stem.

2. In a valve the combination of a casing, inlet and outlet branchesrtheretor, a plug within the casing adapted to open or close said branches, a valve stem projecting through the casing, an extension rising from the casing and surrounding the stem, a packing device for the stem associated with the extension, and a handle having a yoke one arm of which embraces the extension below said device and the other arm of which is operatively secured to the valve stem above the device to turn the plug.

3. In combination a valve casing, inlet and outlet branches therefor, a hollow plug removably secured within the casing, an aperture within the plug adapted to open communication between said inlet and outlet branches when the plug is rotated through a given angle, a stem extending from the plug through a wall of the casing, a handle member provided in effect with two mutually rigid arms, means surrounding the stem and secured to, the casing for movably securing one of the arms to the casing and means for preventing relative rotation between the stem and the other arm, saidsecurin-g means for the first arm serving to maintain the engagement between the second arm and the stem.

4. In combination a valve casing, inlet and outlet branches therefor, a'hollow plug removably secured within the casing, apertures within the plug ,connnunica'ting with certain of said inlet and outlet branches when the plug'is rotated through a given angle a stem for the plug extending outwardly of the casing, an externally threaded packing sleeve surrounding said stem and having-a shoulder, .a handle member having a bearing portion and a-portion operatively associated with said stem, means including a nut arranged to abut said shoulder for movably securing the bearing portion to the casing, and means .for preventing relative rotation between the stem and handle.

. '5. A valve comprising a casing, ibranch openings formed within the casing, a movable plug adapted to be moved to open or close said branch openings, means for retaining the plug in the casing, a stem projecting from the plug, a hollow member extending from the casing and surrounding the stem, sealing means for said stem within said hollow member, a nut and gland for compressing said sealing means, a locking nut beneath said first named nut, a bifurcated handle for turning the plug, one arm of said handle being operatively secured to the plug stem and the other arm movably secured to said hollow member and retained thereon by said locking nut.

6. A valve construction comprising in combination a valve casing having inlet and outlet branches, a hollow movable plug removably secured in the casing and having an opening communicating with certain of the inlet and outlet branches, an arcuate slot in one end of the plug, opening into the in terior of the plug, a projection extending into the slot from the casing and means projecting through the casing for turning the plu 7. A valve construction comprising in combination a valve casing having inlet and outlet branches, a turnable plug removably secured in the casing and arranged to establish communication between the branches, a stem projecting through a wall of the casing for turning the plug, a sleeve sur rounding the stem and having a cylindrical bearing surface, a handle operatively associated with the stem and having a member embracing the bearing surface, said sleeve being threaded adjacent the cylindrical surface, and a retaining member engaging the threads adjacent said member of the handle.

8. In combination a valve casing having inlet and outlet branches, a valve plug located in the casing, an opening in the plug arranged to establish communication between said branches, a stem extending from the plug through the wall of the casing, a packing sleeve having a cylindrical portion and an externally threaded portion, a handle member engaging said cylindrical portion as a bearing, means including a nut t'or securing the handle member thereon, and means including a packing nut engaging said threaded portion of the sleeve for preventing the accidental removal of said first named nut and the handle.

9. In a valve a casing, a valve plug having a stem, a handle member having a bearing portion embracing a portion of the casing, a member surrounding the stem and in threaded engagement with the casing for preventing the removal of the handle, said handle having a portion thereof operativcly associated with the stem to turn the plug.

10. In a valve, a casing and a plug adapted to turn therein having a stem projecting outwardly through the casing wall, an externally threaded packing sleeve surrounding the stem, a handle operatively associated with the stem to turn the plug and having avbearing portion freely embracing said sleeve, a member on the sleeve for retaining the bearing portion against end wise movement and a packing nut engaging the threads on said sleeve, said nut serving to prevent the accidental, removal of the retaining member and handle.

11. In combination with a valve having a casing and a stem projecting therefrom, a handle having a bearing member embracing a portion of the valve casing. and a member engaging the stem to turn the same, oppositely disposed connecting members extending between the said handle members to form a rigid structure and an arm extending laterally with reference to the stem from one of the said connecting members.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto allix my,

signature.

FRANK M. ROBY. 

